'12.12: The Day' surpasses 12 million ticket sales

A scene from ″12.12: The Day″ [PLUS M ENTERTAINMENT]

“12.12: The Day” surpassed 12 million ticket sales on the first day of the year, according to its distributor, Plus M Entertainment, on the same day.

“12.12: The Day” was one of only two films that opened in 2023 that made it past the 10 million milestone. With the film passing the 12 million mark, “12.12: The Day” proved to be more successful than other 10-million-selling films over the years, such as “Tidal Wave” (2009), which had gathered 11.4 million viewers, “Train to Busan” (2016) that had 11.5 million and “Taegukgi” (2004) at 11.7 million.

“12.12: The Day” follows nine hours during the historic day of Dec. 12, 1979, when a military coup d’état is about to break out in Seoul. Actors Hwang Jung-min and Jung Woo-sung play fictional versions of former President Chun Doo Hwan and a military leader who opposes him, respectively.

The film is directed by Kim Sung-su, who is known for films such as “Beat” (1997),” “Musa” (2001) and “Asura: The City of Madness” (2016).

Over the New Year’s holidays, “12.12: The Day” and another historical film, “Noryang,” about the last battle of Admiral Yi Sun-sin divided the box office between themselves, with “Noryang” topping the box office at No.1 with 38.7 percent of ticket sales and “12.12: The Day” following behind with 36 percent of sales.

A Crayon Shin-chan animation film, the latest from DC Studios, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” and another animation film, “Trolls Band Together,” lined up third to fifth place at the box office over the New Year holiday weekend.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]